How to Lose Weight with a Phlegm-Damp Constitution
Disease description:
A good friend wants to lose weight, but she has a phlegm-damp constitution with excessive dampness and phlegm in her body. She wants to know how someone with a phlegm-damp constitution should lose weight.
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Shen Yonghua
Phlegm-damp constitution refers to a physical condition characterized by excessive dampness and phlegm in the body, which typically manifests as obesity, heavy limbs, fatigue, thick greasy tongue coating, and other related symptoms.
However, weight loss for individuals with a phlegm-damp constitution is not simply a matter of losing weight; it requires comprehensive regulation to reduce internal dampness and phlegm from multiple aspects. The following approaches may be considered:
1. Diet: Consume more spleen-strengthening and dampness-resolving foods such as red adzuki beans, coix seed, wax gourd, Chinese yam, and fox nuts. Fresh vegetables and fruits like apples, bananas, and spinach are also recommended. Individuals with phlegm-damp constitution should avoid high-fat, sweet, greasy, and cold foods as much as possible, such as fried foods, desserts, and cold beverages.
2. Exercise: Aerobic activities such as jogging, rope skipping, swimming, and yoga are recommended to help promote the elimination of internal dampness. The intensity of exercise should be appropriate to avoid excessive fatigue.
3. Herbal Regulation: Herbs such as Poria (Fuling), Alisma (Zexie), and Tangerine Peel (Chenpi) are effective in strengthening the spleen, resolving dampness, eliminating phlegm, and supporting weight loss.
For pharmacological interventions aimed at weight loss, it is recommended to follow medical advice and not to take medications blindly or without professional guidance.
